Back to school checkup: learning disorders and chiropractic

Chiropractic EconomicsSeptember 15, 2011

September 15, 2011 — Learning disorders are just one of many neurological problems that affect children today. They also include hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and minimal brain damage among others.

The number of children diagnosed with these conditions is growing at a staggering rate, as medical historian Harris Coulter, PhD, has noted.

These disorders have received the appellation developmental disabilities. Probably the leading one is dyslexia, also called minimal brain damage. Another prominent one is autism. But there are many others. Approximately twenty percent of American children — one youngster in five — suffers from a developmental disability.

The Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA) is encouraging parents to include a regularly scheduled chiropractic checkup in their child’s health regime. Children under chiropractic care will experience optimal development of the nervous system, as interference with growth and development will be eliminated.

Just as with adults, a child’s brain and spinal cord is the power source for the entire body. However, during childhood connections are still being formed. When the connections are being developed we want them to be assembled perfectly. This will allow the body to function properly from the very beginning.

Although not a treatment for neurological disorders, chiropractic has given many children suffering from neurological disorders new hope. Chiropractors, parents, and school officials have reported on the effectiveness of chiropractic for children with many kinds of neurological conditions including learning disorders, hyperactivity, inability to concentrate and behavior problems.

Be sure to mark your calendar for Sept. 30, 2011 when nationally known, Dr. Robert Rakowski will address “How to Control Learning Disorders with a Wellness Approach to Health (Position Your Child to Succeed).” This event will take place at the Southtown Conference Room at 8120 Penn Ave. South, Bloomington, Minn. from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost for this event is $15 per person or $25 for two people. For more information call 800-864-3769 or 952-882-9411.

Case study on ADHD

Chiropractic has been shown to help benefit children that suffer from learning disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. This disorder affects approximately 5 million children between ages of 4 and 17, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Boys are three times more likely to be affected by ADHD than girls.

Chiropractic has helped Leah, a 6-year-old girl who presented to the clinic with symptoms of more aggressive behavior, a hard time concentrating or completing a task and could not sit still. Her mother noted that her symptoms started around age 3 and had progressed every year since.

The mother was informed by her teacher that she was very disruptive in school and was falling behind in school work because she could not follow instruction. She did a lot of fidgeting with her hands and feet and was easily distracted. She had classic symptoms of ADHD and when tested was diagnosed with ADHD.

When doctors of chiropractic evaluate a child with ADHD, they look at the whole child. Evaluation of past and present health revealed that Leah had a history of ear infections and sinus issues. She was not good at eating breakfast and her diet was the typical American diet of less than nutritious food.

On evaluation of the spine, she had uneven shoulder and hip heights. She had abnormal motion to different levels of her neck, mid, lower back and pelvis. This abnormal motion causes the nervous system to malfunction. In chiropractic care, this lack of communication of the nervous system is called a subluxation.

When Leah started her chiropractic care, her mother reported changes within two weeks. These changes happened when normal motion was restored to her spine by gentle chiropractic adjustments. As chiropractic treatment continued, her mother had made diet changes that included less refined sugar, no dyes and she increased her fruits and veggies as prescribed by the chiropractor.

After four weeks, her mother started to report that she was able to participate in small groups in school without being disruptive. She started to read sitting by herself without someone there to keep her on task. Her teacher reported after three months that she was no longer a “challenging child.” Her mother also reported that her ability to establish friendships and interact with other children had returned to normal and no longer was there any aggressive behavior.

Leah went through two visits per week for four weeks and then one visit per week for another four weeks. Her mother one year later seeks chiropractic care for Leah on a once every three month basis as she feels Leah’s concentration starts to diminish. Her mother feels these visits “tune her up” and put her back to optimal levels of mental function.